


"there's nothing to deny," he denied vehemently.

by ivermectin



Series: yet another self-indulgent dan & nate raise milo verse [1]
Category: Gossip Girl (TV 2007)
Genre: AU: Dan gets to keep Milo, Coming Out, Denial of Feelings, Eric van der Woodsen is literally the BEST, Gen, M/M, POV Dan Humphrey, implied pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 07:41:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivermectin/pseuds/ivermectin
Summary: “No, no, no, no, no,” Dan says.
Relationships: Dan Humphrey & Eric van der Woodsen, Nate Archibald/Dan Humphrey
Series: yet another self-indulgent dan & nate raise milo verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206962
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	"there's nothing to deny," he denied vehemently.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you [@mysteriesofloves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriesofloves) for reading this over for me! 
> 
> i am Back on my Regular Bullshit because this 3-episode-long- dad!dan-plotline is obviously one of the Most Important Things to me Ever.

When Dan tells Eric that Nate’s moving in with him, Eric raises an eyebrow. “You realise people will talk, right?” Eric asks.

Dan shrugs. People always talk, and he’s learnt that uncomfortable truth again and again over the years. It’s different now, as a single parent, sure, but he looks at the way Eric is looking at him, bemused and quizzical, and asks, “What do you mean?”

Eric raises an eyebrow neatly. “Just, uh. People are going to think you’re gay? Not many dudes raise a baby with their male best friends platonically.”

Dan feels like his stomach is sinking to his toes. In the next room, he can hear the sounds of Lily playing with Milo, Milo burbling excitedly, and he feels oddly grateful that he’s not holding his baby. He puts a hand to his temples, forces himself to take deep breaths.

“You know it’s not the end of the world if people assume that you’re gay, don’t you?” Eric asks, drily.

Dan’s jolted out of it, astonished, because he hadn’t realised how this was coming across. “I’m not homophobic,” Dan says, quietly. “On the contrary…” He stops. The words won’t come out.

“Holy shit,” Eric says, softer, piecing it together. Dan and Serena had this in common; extremely intelligent younger siblings. The expression in Eric’s eyes are sympathetic, now, at least. “You’re ass-backwards crushing on Nate Archibald?”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Dan says. And then he exhales, covers his eyes with his hands. “Have you _seen_ Nate? It’s a universal feeling.”

Eric exhales through his nose, puts a comforting hand on Dan’s shoulder. “I’m sure there are lesbians who would disagree with you,” he says. And then, deliberately, “and straight boys, as well, who cannot relate.”

“Okay, you made your point,” Dan says, rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t matter, how I feel, or don’t feel. He’s my best friend. And he’s ensuring that I don’t have to do this alone.”

Eric shrugs. “Hey, it’s your life,” he says, waving his hands in a universal _don’t involve me_ kind of gesture.

Dan hates to say this, but he feels oddly prickly and uncomfortable leaving it to chance, so he stutters, “Uh, could you, maybe, keep this… to yourself?”

Eric nods. He pats Dan’s shoulder again, walks past him.

Dan exhales. He feels a bit lighter, but also weirdly heavier. He wishes, yet again, that he wasn’t such an all or nothing person, that his crushes didn’t literally crush him in this way. Still… at least he’s not entirely alone. Eric knows he likes men, and it’s _Eric_. Dan trusts his step-brother immensely, especially when it comes to things like this.

It’s not the end of the world.

**Author's Note:**

> more coming soon. like, really soon. like, in five minutes. hold on. 
> 
> as always, feel free to hmu @ bisexualdanhumphrey on tumblr!


End file.
